Over on my Substack, I just finished posting my full write-up on Disney’s 90s icon of animation Gargoyles.
Which you should definitely give a read to learn way more about medieval sculpture than you ever wanted to know.
E.g:
None of the gargoyles from Gargoyles are, in fact, gargoyles.
By definition, a gargoyle is specifically a carved monster that also functions as a water spout to direct water away from the building to protect from water damage.
A statue that is just a decorative monster is properly called a grotesque.
That being said, for the vast, vast majority of people “gargoyle” does simply mean “architectural monster.” Very few people are aware of the distinction and even fewer people will actually care.
Still, now you’ve learned something about medieval masonry…
And a reminder of the Fantasy Adventure Giveaway I’m currently involved in:
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